


A Midnight Clear

by quartetship



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Christmas, First Kiss, Getting Together, Holidays, M/M, commission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:08:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9275303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quartetship/pseuds/quartetship
Summary: Lance spends his Christmas break in his college dorm one year, only to find that his roommate has no idea how to celebrate a proper holiday.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zennhearts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zennhearts/gifts).



> Written on commission for the always lovely Lex. Hope you guys enjoy a belated Christmas gift!
> 
> \--

“I can't believe you're just gonna sit there all weekend, dude.” 

Lance hadn't been expecting to spend Christmas Eve arguing with one of his suitemates. He was supposed to be checking things off his list of annual traditions, enjoying the best days of the year. Yet there he was, hovering in the doorway of the bedroom they shared trying to convince Keith Kogane that he simply could  _ not _ spend the entire holiday in their suite, sitting on his bed with his laptop in front of him. Lance's coercion didn't appear to be working very well. 

“I don't have anything else to do,” Keith argued, his voice flat. “I  _ always _ just hang out here and chill during winter break. It's not a big deal. Lots of people do it.” 

“Yeah, people from like… Nevada, or Canada or some shit.” 

“And people with no family to go home to.” Keith said it without so much as a change in expression, but the words nearly knocked Lance from his feet. 

_ Oh, yeah.  _

Unlike Lance, whose parents were simply out of the country for the holidays this year, Keith had never had anyone to return to when the semester ended. He'd probably been alone every Christmas, so this year was no different for him. Somewhere in the back of Lance's mind, an angry voice reminded him that he should have remembered as much, but he had already stepped on his tongue. He scratched at the back of his neck, willing the guilty blush rising to the skin there away. 

“Well… Okay. Point taken. Sorry.” When Keith made no move to continue the conversation, Lance stepped closer to the edge of his bed. “But like…  _ I'm _ here. And  _ you're _ here. So if we've both gotta be here anyway, why not do something?” 

Keith looked back at him, something akin to caution readable on his face. “You wanna do something… With me? Just you and me?” 

“I'm not sure what part of that suggestion wasn't clear enough for you the first time,” Lance teased, ignoring the heat at the back of his neck that  _ still _ refused to go away. “But yeah. You, me, Christmas - let's do something. Together.”

There was another beat of hesitant silence from Keith, and when he finally replied, it was with a twisted little frown. “What… What do people usually  _ do _ on Christmas?” 

Lance's first reaction was to ask Keith if he was serious, to tease him because  _ who didn't know how to celebrate Christmas?  _ It was so ridiculous, so sad that Lance labored not to laugh, almost giving in to the urge. Something in the sincerity of Keith's tone persuaded him to do otherwise, though. 

“I mean, my family usually does a big thing that lasts for days, but seeing as how it's just you and me…” Lance trailed off, face scrunched up in thought as he mulled over their options. They were stuck in a mostly-dead college town on a freezing cold Christmas weekend, and it was already after ten o'clock. What even  _ was _ there for them to do? 

Suddenly, the sound of a tinny Christmas carol playing on a streaming radio ad on Keith's computer gave him a brilliant idea. 

“Come on,” he said decidedly, turning to search for his warmest clothes. “Get a coat on. We're going out.” 

\--

Walking in the cold of winter wasn't usually a favorite pastime of Lance's, but showing Keith a good time was a priority. It was his responsibility, he thought; it certainly didn't hurt that his roommate was hot and Lance had more than a little bit of a crush on him. His main motivation was the spirit of the season, though. At least he told himself as much. 

Luckily festive fun was close at hand. The streets that bordered the campus were picturesque, beautifully framing a winter hamlet with twinkling lights and gleaming, iron, wreath-wrapped street lamps. Lance had always imagined them as the backdrop of a holiday greeting card, but on Christmas Eve they seemed somehow even more magical than any December night he remembered. 

A light breeze blew gently falling snow in circles and swirls, and the flakes danced and sparkled in the warm glow of the lights. It was everything Lance could have asked for it to be, but it was difficult to see Keith's reaction. His face was half hidden behind the raised collar of his thin jacket, teeth audibly chattering behind it. Suddenly Lance wasn't so sure that he'd made the right decision after all. 

“You gonna be okay?” he asked, trying to sound less concerned than he was. Keith didn't seem the type who liked being fussed over. 

“Yeah, just cold,” Keith replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “I'm used to running  _ out _ of this kind of weather, not into it.”

Lance chuckled. “I mean same, but it's Christmas. You can't just sit on your ass and do nothing.” 

“Technically Christmas is tomorrow,” Keith reminded him. “Where are we going, anyway? Aren't most places closed on Christmas?” 

“Technically Christmas is tomorrow,” Lance parroted, tongue poking out from between his teeth as he grinned. Keith rolled his eyes and Lance laughed, grabbing him by the folded arm and urging him on. “Just trust me. C’mon.” 

They made their way down the empty streets, passing buildings that were mostly dark, save for holiday decorations twinkling on their windows and doors. Just beyond the edges of campus, there were rows of apartment buildings, old houses and trailer parks that housed students and their families. Outside some of them, children played in the falling snow, their voices echoing in the chilly night air. 

Lance hummed, warm memories flooding his mind while melancholy touched their edges at the thought of missing his family that year. All the more reason to make that night enjoyable, especially when he had been given a renewed perspective on cherishing those close to him. He kept his hold on Keith's arm and pulled him around a corner.

“The corner cone?” Keith asked, blinking as they approached a brightly lit restaurant. “Why are we getting ice cream when it's freezing outside?” 

“We're not,” Lance grinned, glad to see that the tiny shop was indeed still open. It was a twenty-four hour business during regular operating days, but Keith had been right about holiday closings; Lance had held out hope without checking first before leaving the dorm building. “They sell hot chocolate and doughnuts during the winter. Their spicy hot cocoa is the shit, dude.” 

“Oh,” Keith said, his steps slowing. “I, uh. I didn't bring any money, but I --”

“I didn't ask you to, nerd,” Lance cut in. “I'm showing your ass a good time tonight, so this is on me. Get whatever.” He said the last few words as they strolled in the door, heat hitting them in a wave as Lance all but dragged Keith after him. He didn't give himself time to dwell on the fact that he'd made the offer sound very much like a date. 

Keith didn't protest it, so Lance didn't bother mentioning it by that name. For the moment, anyway.

Lance made most of the decisions for both of them; Keith seemed clueless and gladly took his suggestions about which pastries went best with their drinks. Watching him take his first satisfied sip of the sweet and spicy chocolate, Lance quietly wondered if Keith had ever had it before, ever been taken on a decent drinks and dessert date in his life. If not, it would just be one more thing Lance would have to fix. 

That night, though, he had bigger plans. 

“Bring your stuff, let's go,” he instructed, heading for the door with his own hot drink and doughnuts in hand. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Keith, reluctantly complying. It was only then that Lance realized just how underdressed Keith was. 

“Dude, did you not have anything heavier than that jacket to wear?” he asked as they stepped through the door. Keith shook his head. 

“Not usually a problem. I tend to kind of bust my ass to get to my classes, so I'm never out in the cold for too long. Unlike some people, apparently.” He held his drink with both hands, bringing it close to his face as they walked. Lance frowned. 

“If you would've told me that I would've let you borrow some of my stuff,” he said. Keith shrugged. Lance unwound the scarf from his own neck and wrapped it haphazardly around Keith's. 

“You don't have to loan me your --” 

“It's not a loan,” Lance interrupted. “Consider it a gift. Merry Christmas.” He smiled smugly, Keith rolling his eyes in response on reflex. The scarf did look good on him, though, and he didn't seem terribly averse to it; wrapping half-gloved fingers into the plush knit, he pulled it over his mouth and nose, inhaling deeply before sighing a genuine thanks. 

The simple response left Lance feeling suspiciously warm, despite the freezing wind on his neck.

\--

There were less than thirty minutes left until midnight when Lance finally found the street he'd been searching for. His aching feet reminded him that they would have to make the return trip to the dormitory building once his plan had run its course, and he would surely have to listen to Keith's righteous complaints the entire way, but it didn't trump his excitement. He would likely never get another chance to do something as purely Christmas as this again, and he only hoped that Keith would appreciate his efforts as well. 

Nearing the end of the road, it was Keith's huffing that brought them to a stop. 

“Can you please tell me where we're going?” he asked, looking rather put out with the trip so far. Lance pointed ahead of them. 

“Right here.” A few dozen yards ahead, an old Catholic church building stood, tall and quiet. It's windows were alight, stained glass glowing beautifully, a perfect accent to the strings of lights and glistening tinsel hanging from the lamp posts around it. Keith looked, taking in the sight, then looked to Lance. 

“You're taking me to church?” 

Lance laughed, shaking his head. “Not tonight,” he snorted. “Though if my grandma was here, she'd be dragging us there tomorrow morning. But nah, I brought you here to show you something cool. C’mon.” 

Kicking through the growing drifts of loose, powdery snow collecting on the grass, Lance abandoned the sidewalk entirely and made his way onto the grounds of the church, Keith trailing less than a stride behind him. When they made it to the steps that sat in front of the church itself, Lance kicked the snow from the bottom two, taking a seat once he'd finally cleared it. He patted the stone beside him and grinned up at Keith. 

“Have a seat.” 

Keith did, though he was still watching Lance expectantly, obviously not yet impressed. Lance glanced down at his phone screen as he slid it from his pocket, seeing that only ten minutes stood between the two of them and Christmas Day. He sat back, pulling the paper bag containing his still-warm doughnut from the pocket of his sweatshirt. 

“So, uh. What are we doing here?” Keith finally asked, after watching Lance eat in silence for a long moment. Lance wiped the crumbs from his face, reaching for his cup of cocoa. 

“Well, like you said, most things are closed on Christmas. But with this being a church, they'll probably be doing something here shortly.” 

Keith blinked. “Okay, but… You said we weren't going into the church.” 

“We're not,” Lance nodded. “Just hang out, and try to trust me.”

Perhaps somewhat begrudgingly, Keith did as he was asked, settling in to finish his doughnuts and drink while they waited for… he wasn't sure what. Lance had never seen this side of Keith, so trusting and more than a little vulnerable at the feeling of stepping toward the unknown with another person. It was a charming facet, a disarmingly soft light cast upon him that only made Lance find him more appealing. Maybe if the night went as well as Lance hoped that it might, he'd have a chance to tell Keith exactly that. Some day. 

At the stroke of midnight, a loud chime seemed to awaken the sleepy church building, as the large clock at the bell tower’s east face signaled the official arrival of Christmas. Candles came alight in every window, seemingly by magic, as a flock of doves flew from the noisy bell tower. They knocked loose snow to earth in their wake, and it joined the rest in the air to create a beautiful curtain around Lance and Keith. Lance grinned; he could not have planned a more perfect moment. 

Keith's mouth dropped open into small, soft “oh” as he stood to get a better view. He looked skyward at the giant bells moving in the church's bell tower, their ringing carefully calculated to play a beautiful and familiar melody. As the notes to ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ began to chime, Lance hummed along, not bothering to excuse himself for reaching down to take hold of Keith's hand as he stood beside him. He squeezed, smiling when Keith turned his wide eyes toward him. 

“Pretty, isn't it?” 

Nodding, Keith looked back at the bells. Lance was fairly certain that Keith had never heard the song before, yet another prickle of sadness running through him at the thought. When Keith turned back to him again though, his eyes were softer, and there was a look of familiarity and fondness in them that left Lance second guessing himself. 

That only lasted a moment, though. Keith's thoughts became as clear as the icicles decorating the fencing and facades of the church building when he looked down at Lance's hand in his. There was a dawning in his expression, a realization that cast warmth across his face. He took hold of the scarf around his neck and looped one loose end around Lance's, pulling him in close. Lance hardly had time to give him a surprised laugh before Keith was pressing their lips together, arms replacing the scarf around his neck. It wasn't exactly the anticipated outcome of the evening, but Lance was certainly not of the mind to complain. 

He gathered Keith fully into his arms, kissing him breathless on the church stairs as snow flew and bells rang around them. What had started as an effort to show his frustratingly cute roommate a good time on Christmas suddenly made so much more sense as what it had become. Lance couldn't tell if it was the glow of the holiday lights or perhaps the chill of the wind, but Keith was noticeably pink when they at last stepped apart.

“That good, huh?” Lance smirked, trying not to sound flustered, himself. Keith didn't roll his eyes; instead, he took hold of the scarf he'd been gifted and held it over his shiny, pinkened lips, his eyes betraying the smile behind it. 

“I just honestly can't believe you did this - brought us here - just for me.” Keith looked back to the bells, which had begun the opening notes of another song. He seemed no more familiar with its tune than the first, but sighed happily at the sound, his breath billowing out from beneath the scarf in a warm, wispy cloud in the frigid midnight air. 

“Yeah, well. It was my civic duty to show you how to celebrate Christmas properly, and this was the best way I could think to start the weekend in this butthole town. And besides,” he grinned, slinging an arm across Keith's shoulders, this time more meaningful in his movement, “I happen to think you're kinda worth it.” 

“Yeah?” Keith smiled, letting the scarf fall away from his lips. Lance couldn't wait to kiss them again. 

“Yeah. Most days.” 

“I'll remember that,” Keith laughed, a soft sound, more musical than the ringing church bells. He took hold of Lance's hand that hung from his shoulder, lacing their fingers together. “Is this gonna be more than a one-time thing, or is this just part of how you celebrate Christmas?” 

Lance snorted. “I've never been lucky enough to celebrate it with someone as good lookin’ as you, so we'd better make this a thing, or I'll never have another chance to.” 

“Wouldn't wanna ruin Christmas for you,” Keith smiled. Lance pulled him closer, unable to wait for another invitation. He kissed him, slower and sweeter this time, as the wind of winter reminded them both that had a warm room to return to. 

“So what next, Rudolph?” Keith asked, poking Lance's wind-reddened nose. Lance jabbed him playfully in the side, only to pull him back to himself again, pointing back toward the road. 

“We should probably head back to the dorm. Otherwise, the next thing we do is gonna have to be making involuntary snow angels.” 

Keith nodded. “Anything on the agenda for tomorrow, Chris Kringle?” 

“I figured we could make plans once we're out of the snow for the night. Maybe watch old Christmas movies on tv and make out. And will you stop with the nicknames?” Lance frowned, as convincingly as he could manage. Keith twisted his mouth thoughtfully to one side, and then it slid into a mischievous smirk that quickened Lance's pulse. 

“How about something more appropriate? Would that be better,  _ baby?” _ Keith grinned with a sharpness Lance barely recognized, and all he could think of in that moment was getting them back to the dorm, and investigating further to see what other  _ situations _ might merit that same expression. The feeling of warmth at the back of his neck had returned, but it was altogether more pleasant this time.

“You've… Got a lot more game than I figured you'd have,” he admitted. Keith shrugged, clearly pleased with the effect his words had on Lance. 

“I guess so. When I actually know we're  _ playing _ one.” 

Lance grinned. “Should've dealt you in a lot sooner, I guess.” 

“You've got plenty of time to make up for it,” Keith said simply. “We've got all of Christmas break before Hunk and Pidge move back in. Just the two of us.” With that he let his head fall against Lance's slightly as they walked, ambling slowly back toward their dorm room. Lance was left speechless by the unspoken suggestion in Keith's words, an offer he was already determined to take him up on. Maybe it was better that way. 

There were no words between them as they wandered back home for the night to begin their first proper holiday together, only the sound of the wind, of rustling doughnut bags tucked into pockets, and of church bells playing familiar tunes. 

It was all the holiday either of them could have asked for. 


End file.
